Here's a fun fact: the average modern video game has more lines of code than the software used to launch a space shuttle or guide a nuclear missile.

At first glance, this seems absurd. After all, missile guidance systems and space software are mission critical — they demand precise performance, real-time guarantees, and failure is not an option. You’d think they’d be the pinnacle of complexity.

But in terms of raw code volume? Modern video games often have more lines of code than these critical systems.

So why do games have so much more code? A big reason is overhead: games rely on enormous engines like Unreal or Unity, which come packed with features, systems, and dependencies. On top of that, modern games layer in networking, physics, AI, tools for designers, scripting systems, shaders, audio engines, and more.

Take our own game   ▶ BRAINROT   as a concrete example. We designed a custom-built gameflow engine just to manage how chaotic minigames are scheduled, stacked, and transitioned during play. This system alone measures at 2,494 lines of code by the time of writing for our v0.0.1 - and it doesn't even contain the logic for a single minigame. It’s just the orchestration layer that handles how microgames flow together during a single session.

Many of the game’s code is engineered for that expressive needs. Systems like animation pipelines, event orchestration, and input responsiveness helps us synthesis dynamic, emotional, and player-driven experiences. In contrast, domain in aerospace and healthcare are laser-focused. Their lines of code is written with rigorous precision. These systems are performance-bound, predictable, and stripped of anything that can result failure — adhering to strict software architecture practices where reliability trumps feature count.

Mental model for game designers: Games invite complexity to serve imagination. The layers of animation, input timing, spatial feel, UI polish, and player feedback aren't inefficiencies — they’re expressions of design intent. Every extra system is an opportunity to enrich the player’s emotional, sensory, or narrative experience. Game code grows not because it’s bloated, but because it’s expressive.

Mental model for game developers: lines of code are not a reliable proxy for complexity or quality. In fact, code volume often reflects the nature of the problem domain. In game development, large codebases emerge from creative iteration, asset pipelines, engine abstractions, and layers of player-facing features. In contrast, aerospace and defense systems operate under strict constraints—prioritizing predictability, determinism, correctness—which often leads to smaller but more rigorously defined codebases.

In the end, the sheer volume of code in games isn’t a flaw — it’s a reflection of their purpose. Where missiles must never fail, games must always surprise. One is engineered for certainty; the other thrives on creativity. Understanding these differences helps us appreciate that software isn’t just about logic and performance — it can be for expression, emotion, and experience. Whether you're designing systems to guide rockets or build worlds, the code you write is a reflection of the problems you’re solving and the people you're building for.

We, at Playset Labs, design playsets for the people who love to game — and sometimes, bringing their joy to life takes millions of lines of code.